Category: Book Related

Belated Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time

Posted on October 15, 2025 by fantasyst95

It’s been nearly two months since I shared a Top Ten Tuesday post! It’s not content I share all the time because I like to pick and choose the topics I enjoy writing about. That can be said of today’s post. This week, the theme for Top Ten Tuesdays across the blogosphere is “Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time”. There is value in re-reading books over your lifetime; sometimes there is no replacing that first time. The shocking revelation or profound discovery doesn’t quite have the same wow factor once you know what to expect.

In today’s admittedly belated Top Ten Tuesday, I share my top ten books I wish I could read again for the first time, and why. Get comfortable and then we’ll get stuck in!

Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time

Fool’s Errand

The first book I want to feature in today’s Top Ten Tuesday is a reasonably recent, hard-hitting read. The ending of Fool’s Errand is hardly a surprise, but it is a book I would give my soul to go back and read again for the first time, even if the ending had me in floods of tears!

So well was the book written that even when the inevitable happened, I was so touched by both the story and the relationship. It’ll obviously never hit so hard again, but well done Robin Hobb. You got me right in the feels with this one!

Empire of the Vampire

I love the way this first book of the series started. It’s a dark, gothic epic fantasy with a non-altruistic character. It’s rare I start a series and find myself so enthusiastic about the next book. I’ve kept up to date with the series, and the good news is that the next book is out in just a few weeks!

The bad news… it’s the last book 😭

My Sister’s Keeper

I wasn’t sure what I would make of My Sister’s Keeper. I’m not a big contemporary fiction reader. However, I was blown away by this one! The story wasn’t entirely what I expected, but I enjoyed the story and moral dilemma as it played out throughout the narrative.

It’s not very often I start a book I expect to be a 3* read and end up so positively surprised!

The Lost Metal

Finishing The Lost Metal felt like the end of an era.

I started the early Mistborn books when I was a teenager. I loved them then, and the second half of a series only got better. There was a risk it would flop, given the significant changes in narrative, characters, and timeline compared to those early books. However, they were amazing!

I’ll never get back to not knowing how it all ends, but that’s okay. My plan is to reminisce by going back to the beginning!

Ordinary Heroes

Reading, or in my case, listening to Ordinary Heroes is an experience. You’re never quite the same after listening to such a detailed and intimate account of such a horrific event. The bravery and sacrifices people made that day are amazing!

If you take away any advice from this Top Ten Tuesday – let it be this; if you read just one book about 9/11, please make it this one!

Me Before You

Again with contemporary books, I thought Me Before You would be an okay read and was so overwhelmed and emotional by the end.

I wanted to read the book to read about Will and his circumstances. However, I didn’t expect to invest so heavily in the characters and the relationship they have with each other. I don’t do romance. Nevertheless, this book found a place in my heart.

I read book 2 and it didn’t quite have the same magic. This book had me in tears, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Nevernight

The Nevernight Chronicles was the trilogy that got me into Jay Kristoff’s writing in the first place. I loved the dark humour that came through in these books, but weirdly, also the footnotes. It’s not very often you read a book with footnotes, especially fantasy. However, his witty charm and sarcastic humour really play out and make these enjoyable to read. It was a unique experience.

Whilst I can’t get the original back, I do intend to reread these books as physical reads as opposed to audiobooks as I did the first time.

Code Name Verity

‘You can only appreciate how clever the writing of Code Name Verity is until you get to the end. I suspected nothing in this first read-through of the book. Alas, the twist has been unveiled. However, this was a fantastic read.

Although I can never read it again for the first time, I don’t regret picking it up and ‘spoiling’ myself. This was another easy pick for today’s Top Ten Tuesday.

The Green Mile

The Green Mile is an incredibly emotional and poignant story. For me, it’s the book I want to go back and read again, several times in my lifetime. Whilst subsequent rereads may never have the same impact as the first, it’s an important tale to revisit to avoid making the same mistakes in our past.

The Housemaid

I really enjoyed reading The Housemaid with book club earlier this year. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this story. Whilst I was sure something was amiss, I didn’t expect the story to take the turn it did!

Fantastic read! The Housemaid holds its own on this Top Ten Tuesday post, but thankfully I have more in the series to read. Will I feel the same about them? Only time will tell!

Summary

This was a fun list to write. It’s a shame it was a day late. However, I didn’t want to rush it out and not do the books on this Top Ten Tuesday justice.

Are there any books you wish you could read again for the first time?

Monthly TBR – October 2025

Posted on October 9, 2025 by fantasyst95

I’m hoping to piggy-back off the success I had in September and planning another ambitious TBR for October. This year, I’m not leaning too hard into seasonal spooky reads in October. That may change in November. However, for now, I have a number of fantasy reads to pick up in this monthly TBR.

Have you read any of the books on this list? Take a look below to find out!

Fixed Reads

Among the Burning Flowers

My first read on this monthly TBR is one of my current read carryovers from September. I made good progress with this audiobook last month and I’m looking forward to getting to the end of this audiobook later this week. I’m optimistic to make quick progress with this to keep up momentum. There are just a few hours of this audio left as well, so it should be a nice, quick finish!

HR Disrupted

The next ongoing read that starts this monthly TBR is HR Disrupted.

I’ve borrowed this book from our HR lady at work, and so far, it’s proving interesting. I’m 40% into the book as of publishing this post (6th Oct) and already I think there are interesting ideas I’d love to see in practice.

My plan is to finish this book in the next couple of days. That way, I can return it to Donna when she’s back from leave.

Woden’s Storm

I’ve got one final blog tour planned at the moment, and that’s for Woden’s Storm by Donovan Cook. I’ve read and reviewed an earlier book in the series, Woden’s Spear, so it makes sense to carry it on to keep up with the series (you may recall, that’s a reading goal for this year) and review it for publication and help out the author as well.

It’s another historical fiction book. Honestly, I hadn’t read the genre for ages and recently I’ve read several books in short succession. After this one, I think I’ll give it a short break. At least this time, this will be a change from a fantasy-heavy TBR.

The God of the Woods

Another break from fantasy on this monthly TBR is The God of the Woods by Liz Moore.

I’m reading this book along with my work book club. For the first time ever, I’ll also be reading this book on Fable, so anybody reading this can join along with me. If you’re interested in a spooky read this October, it’s the one and only I’ve got on the list. Fable is free to join if you aren’t already, and I hope to see you there with your thoughts on The God of the Woods!

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping

Another book club read, although not one I host this time, is A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping. Instead, I’m coordinating and moderating the chat for this cosy fantasy pick with the Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club. If this is more your cup of tea, check out host Sabie’s Bindery page to find out more and join the club!

Again, if you are able, I’m looking forward to reading your thoughts on this book either on Fable, Storygraph or in the Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club Discord chat.

Mood Reads

A little while ago, I decided I was going to try AI book recommendations. With some past reads I enjoyed in mind, I asked ChatGPT to make me some recommendations. The three books I’m reading towards this challenge, and I’ll be creating a separate feature on these, are The Shadow of What Was Lost, Beyond Redemption and A Crucible of Souls.

This challenge entails nearly 1,600 pages of reading. Is it likely I’ll finish this in October? Perhaps not. I’m going to have a good stab at it though, and of course, I’ll keep you up to date with my usual Sunday Summary update posts.

Summary

Again, today’s monthly TBR is far from shy on page count. Will I get to it all? I can only hope my success in September helps motivate me to read on! I’m also really looking forward to each of the reads on this monthly TBR, which really makes a difference. I have a very fantasy-heavy list, but it IS my favourite genre…

Have you read any of the books featured in today’s monthly TBR?

Monthly Wrap-Up – September 2025

Posted on October 7, 2025 by fantasyst95

I’ve had a really productive reading month. In a first for this year certainly, I have no less than ten books to discuss in today’s monthly wrap-up!

I suggest making yourself comfortable with a beverage of choice. When you’re ready, let’s take a look at the wide variant of books and genres I read in September.

Books Read

The Atlantis Covenant

I left off from my last monthly wrap-up having read 60% of The Atlantis Covenant. With an imminent blog tour at the beginning of this month, I needed to get my skates on!

I finished this book the day before my post went live. It meant drafting my review in a hotel whilst on my way abroad (which was far from ideal as it kept dropping out!), but I got there in the end. Since I went to the effort of writing that review, I’ll point you there instead of talking about the book here. What I will summarise though, is that it was a fun, action-packed read!

Sensitive

Also carried over from my August monthly wrap-up was Sensitive. With just three hours left of the audiobook, I figured I’d finish this quickly.

Admittedly, I didn’t pick this up whilst I was on holiday but when I returned. I’m in the habit of listening to audiobooks as I commute and that’s what I did.

This book is a great listen, whether you know, suspect, or wonder if you or those around you are sensitive. To clarify, this book is about advocating the benefits of sensitivity and the ways people can benefit from these traits. Granted, there are drawbacks too, as with anything. For that, Jenn and Andre offer practical advice for how to work with your sensitivity superpowers rather than considering them weaknesses.

A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison

Our Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club read this month was A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison.

For a change, I finished this book uncharacteristically early. In the last few months, I’ve lagged behind and been scraping finishes around the end of the month. Not very helpful when you’re supposed to be prompting and facilitating conversation, right?

However, this month I turned over a new leaf, and reading this book in advance paid dividends. It’s set a precedent I’ll be continuing now, and I’ll be starting our upcoming read very soon!

Gran Familia

In a total change of pace, I picked up Gran Familia in order to review the manga to coincide with publication with Titan Comics. I published that yesterday, which you can find here.

I read this book within 24 hours. It’s only a couple of hundred pages and mostly images, so very quick and easy to read. Gran Familia was a nice change of format, but also a quick win that helped spur on reading progress this month. Overall, I did very well for reading progress. Having these shorter reads and multiple wins definitely helped on the motivation front…

Betrayal of Mercia

Switching back to audio, I listened to Betrayal of Mercia before starting my current read of the latest book in the series.

Having read the remainder of the books in e-book format, it was nice to try this in audiobook. It was also convenient for me because I’d finish it whilst reading other physical books on my TBR. Obviously, I couldn’t start the latest book until I finished this!

Whilst I have a personal preference for reading the books, the audiobook was very good. I’m just used to reading the place names, and the old names are more recognisable to me visually. That’s entirely personal preference.

This book surprised me in that there was less travel than in previous instalments. However, this book was quite political, and the power plays between characters keep up the action and tension.

The Pagan Lord

Another historical fiction I feature in today’s monthly wrap-up is the better-known The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell. If you are fans of this book, or the Saxon Stories more widely, please also check out the Eagle of Mercia Chronicles by M. J. Porter.

I was looking forward to getting back into the series as it’s been a while. Although the book was decent, I didn’t love it as much as previous books in the series.

Part of the reason I dragged my feet with it was the way I had to borrow it from my library. I’m not a fan of reading on my phone…

Algospeak

Audiobook progress continued with Algospeak by Adam Aleksic. At just under six hours at normal speed, it wasn’t going to last long.

I enjoyed the book and its content, but the narrative voice of the author didn’t really come across as relatable. Although he acknowledges it later in the book, his use of generational language and emphasising his ‘tribe’ so to speak, he is quite condescending about earlier generations and their social media use. I’m not that old, but was kind of made to feel that way.

It was an interesting read, but I probably won’t pick up anything else by this author if he publishes again.

Among the Burning Flowers

A recent release sprung to the top of my TBR after finishing all my planned audiobooks for the month. Among the Burning Flowers came out earlier in September. Having read and enjoyed The Priory of the Orange Tree and A Day of Fallen Night this year, I figured it was worth keeping up with the story.

As of this monthly wrap-up, I’ve listened to around 40% of the audiobook. Again, it’s not a long one, and certainly nowhere near the length of the earlier books. I’ve enjoyed listening to this latest instalment so far. My initial concern is that the book would follow the format of the others pretty closely and feel ‘samey’. However, I don’t find that to be true at all. I’ve been pleasantly surprised and I want to wait to read on!

HR Disrupted

It’s barely worth a mention, but I have just started HR Disrupted by Lucy Adam’s before the end of the month. This book is a loan after a conversation at work with our HR lady, who calls herself an HR Disruptor.

A part of me hopes this book challenges a lot of conventional HR practices and argues what we could do better. I think it’ll be an interesting read anyway, and I’ll update you more next month.

Shield of Mercia

Another late start is my current book, Shield of Mercia. I’m publishing a blog tour post later this week, so I need to get a move on with my read of this.

As of this monthly wrap-up, I’m partway through chapter 4, at 13% (unlucky for some…?). I’m looking forward to reading on, and it’s a good job! I’ve only got a few days left before I’m reviewing this read. That’ll be available to all Patreon readers on Saturday – I hope you can join me.

Summary

I’m not entirely sure how I managed to progress ten titles this month. Yes, there were some shorter books in this monthly TBR. That definitely contributed, but also my reading motivation has been pretty high!

Have you read any of the books I feature in this monthly wrap-up? Are they on your list to read?

Blog Tour Review: Shield of Mercia – M. J. Porter

Posted on October 4, 2025October 4, 2025 by fantasyst95

Historical fiction fans rejoice! Today’s review is for the eighth and eagerly awaited Eagle of Mercia Chronicles – Shield of Mercia! Today, I’m reviewing this brand new release as part of the new blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources.

Before we get into my review, thank you to Rachel, Boldwood Books and the author, MJ Porter for the chance to read and review Shield of Mercia so I can feature the book/series.

FYI, I received a copy of the book in order to provide my review. However, this is an unbiased review and the views expressed within are entirely my own.

Shield of Mercia – M. J. Porter

Genre: Historical fiction

Pages: 337

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Original Publication Date: 03 Oct 2025

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Goodreads – Shield of Mercia

Mercia is triumphant. Her king is safe. But Wessex was never Mercia’s only enemy.
Tamworth, AD836

Following a brutally cold winter, King Wiglaf of Mercia is in the ascendancy. Even Wessex’s Archbishop of Canterbury extraordinarily ventures to Mercia to broker a religious accord. But,can the hard-won peace prevail?

Viking raiders threaten Wessex. These blood-thirsty warriors are fast, skilful and have no reticence about killing those who stand in their way. Their aim isn’t to rule but to overwhelm, slaughter and take ill-gotten wealth.

King Wiglaf is no fool. As the Vikings push to overwhelm Wessex, Mercia’s lands look insecure. King Wiglaf needs the shields of Mercia’s warriors to prevent the overwhelming advancement of their deadliest enemy yet.

To save Mercia, Icel must first prevail over the two men who mean to end his life; King Ecgberht of Wessex and his son, Æthelwulf of Kent and only then the marauding Viking army for whom boundaries have no meaning.

An action packed, thrilling historical adventure perfect for the fans of Bernard Cornwell and Matthew Harffy.

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/ShieldofMercia

My Thoughts

Plot

In Shield of Mercia we return to a busy action-packed plot. War is on the doorstep, and the number of enemies keeps rising. Icel, a character who you may recall from Son of Mercia, aimed to be a healer. Instead, he became a renowned warrior. He always manages to find himself in the thick of the action, and in Shield of Mercia, in more danger than any book to date.

The gripping storyline and constant question of who could be trusted kept high tension throughout the plot. When eventually the pot boils over, we are treated to numerous battle scenes and conflicts that have us on the edge of our seat!

Setting

Events in Shield of Mercia are much like previous books in that travel is a greater element of the plot. Betrayal of Mercia felt like a bit of an exception to that rule, and I’m enjoying being back in the thick of the action.

I love this series for its truly country spanning narratives. The political and geographical context of the story is really interesting and far more dynamic than we are today. It’s a great backdrop at the best of times, as life in Britain was far from peaceful anyway. Add Viking raiders into this already tumultuous era and you get an unputdownable action-packed historical fiction novel/series! As I can attest to – I read 75% of this book in one evening!

Characters

Uncertainty between Mercian and Wessex people is rife in Shield of Mercia. The two fractious communities come together in order to oust a Viking enemy. Trust, however, does not come easily. Icel, our main protagonist of the series, has more reason to be both suspicious and wary than ever.

This feeds into a good portion of the plot, so the development of the characters and wider world within works hand-in-hand with driving the plot forward. It’s not therefore one at the expense of the other, but a great balance!

Icel remains one of my favourite historical fiction characters in this period. He is so well-rounded and unlike your stereotypical warrior. His character arc is unique and even so many books on from his humble beginning in Son of Mercia, his core character values are still well-defined and fit into the man he has become out of necessity.

Narrative Style

Shield of Mercia is very easy to read – as I’ve already alluded to, I read most of the book in one go. The style of narrative lends itself to a storytelling structure. With just one point of view, we’re able to get a deeper sense of Icel’s perspective on events.

Rightly or wrongly, his views shape our perception of other characters in the book. For the first time in this narrative, I asked myself whether Icel perceives events a certain way as he has a dislike for certain characters. So far in the series, I’ve taken that perception as truth rather than opinion. However, I’ve enjoyed questioning the validity of the narrative as presented. Outside of historical fiction, I do enjoy an unreliable narrator!

Summary

Shield of Mercia has been a fun eighth instalment to the Eagle of Mercia chronicles to read. I’ve especially enjoyed the greater action and overt conflict on this book as opposed to the political scheming of Betrayal of Mercia. That’s not to say this doesn’t underpin events in the book, because they absolutely do! However, balance has been restored, and I can’t wait to see what scrapes Icel inevitably lands himself with next…

Author Bio

MJ Porter is the author of many historical novels set predominantly in Seventh to Eleventh-Century England, and in Viking Age Denmark. Raised in the shadow of a building that was believed to house the bones of long-dead Kings of Mercia, meant that the author’s writing destiny was set.

Social Media Links

Facebook: @MJPorterauthor

Twitter: @coloursofunison

Instagram: @m_j_porter

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/MJPorterNews

Bookbub profile: @coloursofunison

Spooky Book Recs for You and Your Book Club in 2025!

Posted on September 25, 2025 by fantasyst95

If you’re looking for recommendations for your spooky book club read, look no further! I’ve read a number of spooky books over the years, and these are my recommendations for a meaningful conversation.

I’m reading God of the Woods by Liz Moore for our next book club meeting. Whilst I’m yet to try it, Meg has already devoured the book in audio format and can’t wait to chat about it!

Spooky Book Recs

Dark Academia

If We Were Villains

If dark academia is a genre you and your book club love to read, If We Were Villains is a spooky book that’s right up your alley.

A group of talented theatre students, specialising in Shakespearean performance, find themselves embodying the characteristics of Shakespeare’s traditional heroes and villains. However, their last year at the school will challenge the roles and dynamics of the group, with deadly consequences.

Even if you aren’t a fan of Shakespeare, or like me struggle to understand the language, it’s not strictly necessary. I think this is the kind of book that is approachable for readers regardless of their understanding… but for those that do, maybe there are hints and Easter eggs that can make the narrative more interesting.

I really enjoyed this story, and I hope you do too!

Horror

Imaginary Friend

Imaginary Friend may be a stretch for most book clubs due to the length of the book. At just over 700 pages, I’d recommend this spooky book to committed, die-hard horror fans.

It’s disturbing anyway, but especially because the protagonist affected is a child. It’s honestly a seriously spooky read. I read this book 6 years ago now. Whilst reading the book in sunny Spain didn’t quite fit the vibe (my home town wet and windy weather is much more appropriate), Imaginary Friend has a strong, sinister atmosphere.

Classic

Pet Sematary

A supernatural horror classic from the King is Pet Sematary. Admittedly, this was one of the first horror books I read and I loved it!

Pets are a relatable subject for a lot of people. I never really grew up with them, but even still, the affection for family pets is something we are all familiar with. Maybe I should re-read the book now I do have a cat…? Or not 😂 My boy has nothing in common with Church!

Even then, this book held its power over me. It’s a spooky book with an unreliable narrator. If that’s your cup of tea, you’ve just found your next read!

Short and Sweet

Carrie

At 272 pages, Carrie is both a well-known classic and a short book. If your book club can’t make a huge time commitment for your next read, Carrie is ideal!

Stephen King is a well-known author and an interesting pick. The only caveat is that this book touches a lot on religion and extreme parental discipline. If you want to discuss these themes in your group, make sure you know each other well and it’s a safe space to share views.

Psychological Thriller

The Housemaid

Psychological thrillers are a huge and popular genre. I love it, so I was pleased when my book club picked The Housemaid earlier this year.

In the shoes of then Millie and then Nina, immerse yourself in a twisty story where the apparent suburban dream is not all it’s made out to be. Again, fans of unreliable narrators will have a great time with this story! It’s dark and leaves you questioning everything you think you know.

If you and your book club want a short, fast-paced spooky book, The Housemaid is perfect. It’s also a series. If you are the type of reader to binge read a series, that’s an option here too!

Summary

Hopefully you’ve found a spooky book recommendation in today’s post! If not, have you read any of these books? Would you have any other spooky book recommendations for readers!

If so, drop a comment below with your recommendations!

Monthly TBR – September 2025

Posted on September 8, 2025 by fantasyst95

My monthly TBR post is a little later than usual. If you read yesterday‘s Sunday Summary, you’ll know that I’ve just been away. However, now I’m back into full swing and I have a great list of books I’m planning to read in September. Make yourself comfy, and then we can go through the list of books I have been and I’m due to read this month.

Have you read any of the books featured in this monthly TBR?

Fixed Reads

The Atlantis Covenant

The first book on this monthly TBR was the Atlantis Covenant by Rob Jones. If you are a regular reader here, you’ll know I read this book early as I had a blog tour obligation on the 4th of September.

If you are a fan of Indiana Jones and like this kind of high-stakes action with history and archaeology combined, go check out my review of this book!

The Giver

The next book on my list was The Giver. You may recall this book was on my August TBR as we were picking it up for our workbook club. Due to summer holidays, we ended up pushing this meet-up back to tomorrow. In the end, I ended up reading this quite last minute. However, I was able to read the book in just a couple of sessions whilst travelling.

I really enjoyed this children’s dystopia. Although this book is aimed at a younger audience, it didn’t oversimplify the dystopian setting or the message behind the book. It was a really easy and interesting read. And, as you can tell by the way, I’m discussing this book, it’s the second I’ve already ticked off this list.

Sensitive

Switching to audiobooks, my next and current read is Sensitive.

Admittedly, this book is near completion as well. I have just a couple of hours of audio left and I expect I’ll make light work of it.

I’m interested in reading this book as I am pretty sure I fit into the classification of a ‘highly sensitive person’. As the book iterates, there are different ways people can be sensitive and some overlap with other traits. I’m pretty confident I’m an emotionally sensitive person, so it’s been validating to know my feelings and experiences aren’t unique.

We’re getting to a useful section of the book shortly – the authors share strategies for sensitive people to put into practice. That’s one of the main takeaways I’m looking for from this book, so I’m keen to progress with this audiobook!

A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison

Another fixed read for the month is the Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club read, A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison. As progress goes, I’m already halfway through this book as of sharing this monthly TBR.

Whilst I’m already ahead, I’m going to prioritise this book so I can encourage conversations about the book in the Discord group. For the last couple of books, I’ve been behind and it’s made the job a little easier. As I picked this up as an ‘easier’ read whilst away, I’m going to keep going.

HR Disrupted

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to HR Disrupted last month. As it’s a loan, I can’t put this book off.

It’s also a short one, so it’s carried forward from August but will absolutely be read soon!

Betrayal of Mercia

Ahead of another upcoming blog tour review next month, I need to catch up on the prior book of the series.

Somehow, I missed reading Betrayal of Mercia as part of the publication blog tour at the beginning of the year. In fairness, I’ve been doing a lot less in the way of tours, so it’s not a surprise I missed this email.

Regardless, I didn’t miss the email for book eight, Shield of Mercia. So, first things first, I’m revisiting the series with Betrayal of Mercia and then heading into book eight.

Mood Reads

The Pagan Lord

Another carry forward, but this time originally featured in my July TBR, is The Pagan Lord.

Historical fiction is more prominent towards the end of this monthly TBR. This isn’t the first historical fiction on this list. But, in practice, I think I’ll start with this well-loved and reasonably short seventh instalment in Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories series.

Gran Familia

In a completely different change of pace, I’m hoping to read a manga and feature/review the book ahead of its official publication at the end of the month.

As it’s a 200-page manga, I expect it will be a very quick read. It’s also a complete change of pace to the other books on this monthly TBR. I don’t read manga very often, but I think it’ll be nice to introduce some to my reading and my blog content.

Stay tuned for more about this manga in due course.

Shield of Mercia

If I get time at the end of the month, my aim is to start Shield of Mercia ahead of next month’s blog tour review date. It’s early next month that I’m due to review this book. So, it makes sense to start as early as I can!

Summary

I have a large number of books on September’s TBR, but thankfully they are shorter than a lot of the books I have on my wider reading list…

Have you read any of the books featured in this monthly TBR?

Monthly Wrap-Up – August 2025

Posted on September 1, 2025 by fantasyst95

Hot off the press, I’m here to share my reading progress in today’s monthly wrap-up! I hope you enjoy today’s catch up post and can take some book recommendations away.

In my August TBR I shared an extensive list of books I hoped to pick up. As usual I didn’t get around to it all. My plans also had to change a little as I agreed to take part in a blog tour later this week after sharing the TBR.

Shall we take a look at what I did get to?

Books Read

House of Frank

My first carryover from last month was the July Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club read, House of Frank. I only had a third of the book left and I was determined to finish it even after the readalong was officially finished.

It was a pretty decent read and I’m glad I got to see the final character progression. The book didn’t end entirely as I expected, so it did have a little twist. Whilst I did enjoy the book, it was a pretty average read.

In fairness, even at this state of affairs it fared better than the August book… but more on that below.

Stormdancer

Even closer to the finish line than I was with House of Frank, I completed the final two hours of audio for Stormdancer in early August.

I enjoyed this book a lot and I’m really interested to see where the rest of the series will take us. The good news is that I have the other two books in audio format so I can pick these up at my leisure. The steampunk and Asian fantasy mash-up is truly an interesting genre to read. Honestly, I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. Then again, so far Jay Kristoff hasn’t put a foot wrong and I’ve enjoyed all his books.

The first book ends on quite a cliffhanger. What happens next? I can’t wait to find out!

If We Were Villains

This book has been sat on my bookshelf for the longest time. I found out this month why I’d been holding out on myself!

If We Were Villains is a fantastic, suspenseful read. Although the book and narrative owes a lot of its influence to Shakespeare, you don’t need a wealth of knowledge on his plays to enjoy this book. Sure, I think there are probably smart references and Easter eggs fans could pick up on. From someone not well-versed though, it really doesn’t affect your overall enjoyment of the book.

This is quite an interesting one. Whilst from the beginning we think we know what happened (the tale is told by a single narrator after the event, after all), that turns out not to be the case at all really. It was an interesting way to play out the narrative. Fans of dark academia books will definitely love this one!

The House Witch

I have a DNF to share this month, which was August’s Cottagecore Fantasy Book club read.

In all, The House Witch was fine, but I lost steam with it. It’s quite long-winded and takes time to get going. A few of us in the group agreed that the book read like an indie, even though it has been traditionally published.

I was struggling with motivation to pick up the book. Eventually, I decided it wasn’t worth trying to force myself through it so took the decision to write-off the couple hundred pages I read. It’s a shame, as that’s effort that doesn’t count towards any of my stats. But, I made the right decision as reading progress picked back up again with a fresh read, and a very drastic change of pace…

The Atlantis Covenant

The final book I picked up physically at the end of August is The Atlantis Covenant. As I mentioned near the top of this post, I signed up for this blog tour at quite short notice, well, at least for me. Rachel dropped me an email asking for help with the tour and I did like the sound of it. So, I agreed to read it for the tour! That tour date is in just a few days time. In the spirit of not leaving things too late, I picked this up with a few days left in August.

As of drafting this monthly wrap-up post, it is still a current read but I am 60% through and the reading time estimate puts me at less than two hours to complete the book. It’s significantly faster paced and action-packed, which is a direct contrast with The House Witch. Think if Indiana Jones was a book, that’s the kind of experience I’m having right now. It’s fun and there are some interesting theories coming up in the narrative. Will they be true, or is there another twist yet? I suspect there is! I’ll be reading this in the next day or so in order than my blog tour post is ready to go live early on Thursday.

Stay tuned!

Tyrant’s Throne

This monthly wrap-up includes updates on two more audiobooks yet, so don’t be too hasty with scanning down the post!

In August I listened to Tyrant’s Throne in its entirety. It feels like it’s been a while since I completed an audiobook within a calendar month. However, this was the final book of its series and after listening to Saint’s Blood pretty recently, I was keen to get to the end of this book!

Often when I’m finishing a good series, I get sad towards the conclusion and start putting up resistance to actually finishing the last book. However, as I shared in my Sunday Summary yesterday, I didn’t get to that point with this book for the best of reasons! I’m so glad I finished the book and I hope to see more stories from Falcio, Kest and Brasti in future.

Sensitive

The final audiobook and book to feature in this monthly wrap-up post is Sensitive by Jenn Granneman and Andre Solo.

I started this relatively short audio with jut a couple of days left in the month. The other intended reads on my August TBR are owned in other formats already, so I didn’t start audiobooks of those deliberately. Instead, I turned to my 20 Books of Summer Challenge for inspiration and chose Sensitive.

As of this monthly wrap-up I’ve already listened to a healthy chunk of this audiobook. As at the end of the month, I officially carried over just under five hours of the audiobook to listen to. In practice, I’ve listened to a couple of hours today, so I have a little under three hours. I expect I’ll make light work of it so I’ll be starting a new audiobook soon!

Summary

So, I picked up no less than seven titles at some point over the course of August. In terms of my 20 Books of Summer Challenge, I finished the season having read seven of the original books in total, as well as DNFing and subbing out another. I had hoped for more progress, but then again, I couldn’t always allow for book club or blog tour commitments in my reading list. I’ve still read a decent amount over the last three months. The unread books on this list aren’t going away. I’m putting them on a ‘priority’ list and I want them all finished before the end of the year.

That’s everything to catch you up on in this monthly wrap-up update!

Have you read any of the books in today’s post?

Top Ten Tuesday – Books with a High Page Count

Posted on August 19, 2025 by fantasyst95

If you’re looking for a chunky book recommendation, then today’s Top Ten Tuesday post is for you! This week’s featured topic is Books with a High Page Count. Given I read a lot of fantasy, I knew I wouldn’t struggle with the topic.

However, in the spirit of appealing to a wider reading audience, I feature books from the following genres in today’s post: –

Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Classics
Horror
Non-fiction

If you’re a fan of any of these genres, take a look below for some of my recommendations that have a high page count.

Half of this list tops 1,000 pages – have you read any of these? Are you brave enough to give them a go?

Books with a High Page Count

Classics

War and Peace

1,024 pages

Rating: – 🌟🌟🌟🌟

My review: – Review – War & Peace

Lord of the Rings (bind up edition)

1,209 pages

Rating: – Book 1 🌟🌟🌟🌟/ Book 2 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/ Book 3 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My reviews: –

Review: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – J.R.R Tolkien

Review: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King – J. R. R. Tolkien

Horror

IT

1,376 pages

Rating: – 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My review: – Review: IT – Stephen King

The Stand

1,348 pages

Rating: – 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My review: – Audiobook Review: The Stand – Stephen King

Imaginary Friend

720 pages

Rating: – 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My review: – Book Review: Imaginary Friend – Stephen Chbosky

Fantasy

The Way of Kings

1,007 pages

Rating: – 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My review: – Review: The Way of Kings – Brandon Sanderson

The Mad Ship

906 pages

Rating: – 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My review: – Book Review: The Mad Ship – Robin Hobb

Non-fiction

A Promised Land

768 pages

Rating: – 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My review: – To follow

Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World

720 pages

Rating: – 🌟🌟🌟🌟

My review: – Patreon

Historical fiction

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay

639 pages

Rating: – 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My review: – Book Review: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay – Michael Chabon

Summary

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday post hopefully features a book that appeals to everyone, regardless of the genres you read. If you are looking for your next read with a high page account, this Top Ten Tuesday can scratch the itch.

Have you read any of the books on today’s list? Are any of them on your reading list?

Top Ten Tuesday – Books Guaranteed to Put an End to Your Book Slump

Posted on August 12, 2025 by fantasyst95

We all go through reading slumps. Even us voracious readers find ourselves unable to pick up a book now and then. Whether it’s due to a bad run killing our reading vibe, to the complete opposite – a book so good nothing can live up to it, we’ve all been there. That’s where my Books Guaranteed to Put an End to Your Book Slump can help!

Personally, when I’m struggling I tend to seek out the familiar, or favourites. Let’s take a look at some of mine ☺️

Books Guaranteed to Put an End to Your Book Slump

A Game of Thrones

If there was only one series I could read for the rest of my life, I’d choose this one! I love getting immersed in the details of the story. There are characters I love and some I love to hate. It has so much to give! I’ve reviewed this first book which you can check out if you haven’t already.

I’ve already re-read this series once and I don’t doubt I’ll do it again. Certainly I will be if we get word on the next book…

The Hunger Games

I keep threatening to re-read this series!

Having enjoyed reading A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Sunrise on the Reaping in more recent history, I want to return to the main trilogy. I read these books as a teenager and I’m keen to see how they stand the test of time now I am an adult.

I love the world. These books are set in a dystopian world. Fiction is always something I look forward to. For that reason, The Hunger Games series is always a safe bet if I’m looking for books guaranteed to put an end to my book slump.

Mistborn

Brandon Sanderson and his Mistborn series were very highly rated by me the first time I read them. Again, the immersive world and strong characters are easy to love and fall in with.

Honestly, I could have featured any number of Brandon Sanderson books on this list. I have yet to find one I haven’t loved. I have a particular fondness for Mistborn, however, as it is one of the first books I ever read. It’s also a substantial series of seven books across two timelines. The time difference between these two settings also makes a very different world. Whether I’m looking for something of a traditional fantasy, or something a little bit more western, the books in the series can appeal to either of those wants.

Harry Potter

Regardless of the controversy surrounding the author, I really enjoyed the Harry Potter books both as a child growing up, and again more recently as an adult. The latest books in the series are my favourite by far, and I find them very easy to dive back into.

The earlier books are lighter and shorter. If I’m looking for a quicker, lighter fantasy read, these are ideal. But, as I said, I love the latter books. The darkest storyline and more sinister aspects of the plot are really enjoyable to me. Even if the page count is heavier, the content is what I love, and I can devour it!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

I really loved this trilogy by Laini Taylor. The main character, Karou, was one of the reasons why I experimented with dyeing my hair blue 😂

If there was one thing Laini is good at, it’s encompassing an engaging storyline with a lyrical narrative. Her books are very easy to read, and it’s for that reason I’m confident the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy makes my ‘books guaranteed to put an end to your book slump’ list.

Strange the Dreamer

It’s for the exact same reason above that I’ve got Laini Taylor‘s Strange the Dreamer duology on this list!

An added bonus is that the series is only made up of two books, so it’s not too much of a commitment to read, and I can get through it quickly!

Lord of the Rings

Although not the easiest to read, due to the long-winded and complex sentence structures, I love Lord of the Rings. For that reason, this trilogy also makes the cut.

It’s a series I couldn’t get tired of, even if I tried. Plus, it’s a classic!

The Handmaid’s Tale

I’ve already mentioned in this ‘books guaranteed to put an end to your book slump’ that dystopian fiction is a safe genre.

Another dystopian novel I could read over and over is The Handmaid’s Tale. I do enjoy feminist fiction as well as dystopia. The Handmaid’s Tale is also a book I’ve read multiple times already and no doubt will again in the future!

The Midnight Library

In the last two years, I have read this book twice. Both occasions, the experience was different.

The Midnight Library is an interesting and quite short book to read. The subject matter isn’t the easiest, but it’s engaging and thought-provoking. I strongly believe I can take away more from this book the more I read it.

Babel

Combine magic, language, and historical fiction, and you get Babel! I loved this book so much that I plan to read it again.

Babel has a number of elements I love in a book. This will be a great read to pick up if I’m in a slump and don’t know what to pick up next!

Summary

Thanks for taking the time to read my ‘books guaranteed to put an end to your book slump’ Top Ten Tuesday.

Have you read any of the books on this list? What is your go-to book when you’re in a reading slump?

Monthly TBR – August 2025

Posted on August 5, 2025 by fantasyst95

It’s the beginning of August and I’m with you today to share my monthly TBR. It’s the final month of the 20 Books of Summer Challenge. Whilst I fully expected to be a little behind with this challenge as it was a stretch goal, I’m hoping to read as much as I can from that list before the end of the month.

When I shared my monthly wrap-up post just a few days ago, I was very close to completion with both of my current reads. It feels like great progress to share in this post that I have finished both of those books. They won’t feature in this TBR, but mentally it helped set me up for what I can only hope to be success with this monthly TBR.

So, shall we actually get round to talking about the books on the list?

Fixed Reads

The Giver

Starting off with my book club commitments, the first book I need to read is The Giver by Lois Lowry. Following on from The Measure, The Giver is also set in a dystopian world and was very clearly one of the inspiring stories behind this book. When talking about it in our book club discussion last week, Meg recommended picking up The Giver as it’s a great book itself. However, we also decided it would be interesting to see how this book influenced The Measure.

The good news is The Giver is quite a short read. This book is actually aimed at a middle grade or young adult audience. As a result, its page count only sits at around 240. That should be plenty easy to get through!

The House Witch

Next, I am picking up The House Witch with the Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club, over the course of this month. I came to the party late last month. Consequently, I ended up bingeing House of Frank in order to catch up. Instead, I’ll be picking up The House Witch incrementally so I can contribute to the discussion on a weekly basis.

As a result, you’ll see me chipping away at this slowly over the course of the month. That is, unless I get carried away and binge the whole lot early on. We’ll see how my experience goes of the book 😌

If We Were Villains

The next book I’m including in this early section is If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio. I’m including this as a fixed read on this monthly TBR because I have started already. As of this monthly TBR post, I have read around 100 pages so far. Although I can be very hit and miss with Shakespeare, its influence on the narrative isn’t putting me off. In fact, it’s been nice to read a book that dabbles with Shakespeare but isn’t so heavily that I’m put off.

If you are unfamiliar with the premise of the book, If We Were Villains is about a group of theatre students in their final year of education. The school of arts they attend specialises in Shakespeare. Now, I haven’t got to the juicy bit where someone gets murdered. Not yet. However, the parallels of tragedy between Shakespeare’s writing and what inevitably comes to pass are starting to weave their way into the narrative. I’m excited to see what happens and so I imagine this book will be read pretty quickly!

HR Disrupted

I often talk books at work, and a conversation with our HR lady has resulted in my borrowing HR Disrupted from her. She started explaining to me what an HR Disruptor is and what it means in terms of breaking the traditional moulds and practices of HR. I was intrigued, and you know me 😉 I’ll read books on pretty much any subject!

This is a fixed read this monthly TBR as naturally I want to return the book to its rightful owner ASAP ☺️

Mood Reads

The Pagan Lord

Regretfully, I didn’t get to The Pagan Lord, which was on my monthly TBR for July. This is a carry forward, and I’m still looking forward to continuing with this series.

This TBR is a little on the long side, and I will admit that it is ambitious. However, with some shorter books on the list, The Pagan Lord among one of those, I’m hopeful I can catch up with my Goodreads reading challenge. I’m looking forward to reading this 300-page book to get myself back into the Last Kingdom, also known as the Saxon Stories series by Bernard Cornwell.

The Dragon Republic

Another carryover from my July TBR is The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang. I’m looking forward to this second instalment in The Poppy War series.

I’m planning to pick this one up later in the month. Whilst momentum is strong, I want to try and blitz my shorter reads. The Dragon Republic is about 650 pages – it’s not short by any means. If my experience of the first book is anything to go by, it’ll be a slower and more detailed read.

Tyrant’s Throne

A final book of a series I’m looking forward to listening to this month is Tyrant’s Throne by Sebastien de Castell.

It’s also my main audiobook of the month! Naturally, I hope I can finish this in good time and squeeze in another 20 Books of Summer entry before the end of August. The audiobook is 16 and a half hours at x1.2 speed, so not unachievable…

Having just listened to Saint’s Blood, I’m eager to finish the series whilst events are fresh in my mind.

Summary

With a total of seven books, 2200 pages, and 16 and a half hours of audio on this month’s TBR, I’m optimistic for a productive month of reading.

I’ve already made a great start finishing two carryovers from July that aren’t featured in today’s monthly TBR; I’ve wrapped them up already! Let’s hope we can keep the momentum going!

What are you reading this summer?